Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Monday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, April 6, 2026

554 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Blue Grass Stockyards (Monday) report →

light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $426.08/cwt +9.92 vs last sale · ≈ $2,578/hd at 605 lb · 81 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $405.95/cwt +49.86 vs last sale · ≈ $2,723/hd at 671 lb · 51 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $448.88/cwt +17.72 vs last sale · ≈ $2,475/hd at 551 lb · 35 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 554 1,125 373
Feeder cattle 489 902 291
Slaughter cattle 62 182 78
Replacement cattle 3 41 4

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Monday the feeder market was mostly stronger with a good quality offering. Feeder steers 400 lbs and under were sharply higher with strong demand, while the 500-650 lbs steers were steady and yearling steers were 3.00-5.00 higher with a limited supply and good demand. Feeder heifers 400 lbs and under were sharply higher with strong demand, while the 450-650 lbs heifers were steady to 6.00 higher or greater in spots with a good supply and good demand. Slaughter cows and bulls were mostly steady with a good supply and good demand.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
175 175 1 640.00 $640.00 $1,120 —
220 thin fleshed 220 1 750.00 $750.00 $1,650 —
262–280 thin fleshed 271 4 740.00–780.00 $760.66 $2,061 —
290 fancy 290 2 690.00 $690.00 $2,001 +49.93
315 fancy 315 1 712.50 $712.50 $2,244 +32.50
346 346 3 600.00 $600.00 $2,076 -2.89
353 fancy 353 4 672.50 $672.50 $2,374 +85.09
418–446 fancy 429 11 580.00–597.50 $590.72 $2,534 +22.92
420–445 433 3 537.50–557.00 $545.31 $2,361 +35.31
460–490 fancy 475 3 529.00–552.50 $539.25 $2,561 -12.58
493–495 493 13 503.00–520.00 $506.94 $2,499 —
500 value added 500 2 529.00 $529.00 $2,645 -3.34
577 value added 577 12 490.00 $490.00 $2,827 -14.21
587–590 589 4 440.00–461.00 $450.47 $2,653 -11.05
605 value added 605 3 461.00 $461.00 $2,789 -2.07
625 625 1 413.00 $413.00 $2,581 -18.64
630 630 1 405.00 $405.00 $2,552 -26.64
650 value added 650 2 429.00 $429.00 $2,788 -7.42
672 672 2 404.00 $404.00 $2,715 +7.90
705 705 1 392.50 $392.50 $2,767 +5.04
766–778 770 16 365.00–387.00 $380.13 $2,927 +6.17
815–820 816 6 340.00–356.00 $353.32 $2,883 +13.29
893 893 4 344.00 $344.00 $3,072 +10.23
930 930 2 329.00 $329.00 $3,060 ±0.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
470 470 2 465.00 $465.00 $2,186 +25.00
710 710 1 350.00 $350.00 $2,485 ±0.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
230 230 1 620.00 $620.00 $1,426 +35.00
245 fancy 245 2 790.00 $790.00 $1,936 —
285 285 1 610.00 $610.00 $1,738 +77.50
323 value added 323 3 680.00 $680.00 $2,196 —
310–345 325 4 542.50–570.00 $556.50 $1,809 +23.51
335 fancy 335 3 630.00 $630.00 $2,110 +74.35
353–355 fancy 354 7 555.00–595.00 $583.53 $2,066 +26.64
360–393 384 5 525.00–535.00 $532.13 $2,043 +28.96
405 fancy 405 7 535.00–570.00 $565.00 $2,288 +57.69
415–443 437 10 487.50–510.00 $491.66 $2,149 +11.93
440 440 1 430.00 $430.00 $1,892 -49.73
455–482 fancy 476 25 470.00–490.00 $474.71 $2,260 -16.73
465–497 476 6 430.00–457.50 $447.67 $2,131 -1.52
500–547 value added 529 18 436.00–457.00 $452.62 $2,394 +1.44
540 540 1 407.00 $407.00 $2,198 -11.61
550–551 value added 551 34 432.50–450.25 $449.73 $2,478 +6.94
565 565 1 420.00 $420.00 $2,373 +17.92
603 value added 603 75 430.00 $430.00 $2,593 +11.62
625–637 632 6 365.00–387.50 $377.06 $2,383 +13.18
669 value added 669 40 411.00 $411.00 $2,750 —
655–687 677 11 372.50–392.50 $387.57 $2,624 +31.48
735–748 value added 744 27 361.00–384.00 $379.54 $2,824 —
785 785 2 323.00 $323.00 $2,536 +10.85
791 791 4 360.00 $360.00 $2,848 +47.85
800 800 1 329.00 $329.00 $2,632 +7.20
930 930 1 280.00 $280.00 $2,604 —
1040 1040 1 230.00 $230.00 $2,392 —
1140 1140 1 252.50 $252.50 $2,878 —
1205 1205 1 210.00 $210.00 $2,530 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
205 205 1 550.00 $550.00 $1,128 —
315 315 1 442.50 $442.50 $1,394 -16.39
495 495 3 397.50 $397.50 $1,968 -17.37
555–585 572 3 376.00–381.00 $378.70 $2,166 +3.70
820 820 1 287.50 $287.50 $2,358 —
855 855 1 295.00 $295.00 $2,522 +30.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 200 1 630.00 $630.00 $1,260 +10.00
325 fancy 325 1 650.00 $650.00 $2,112 -75.00
335 335 1 610.00 $610.00 $2,044 -7.13
355–395 fancy 368 5 615.00–635.00 $623.33 $2,294 -12.00
396 396 3 560.00 $560.00 $2,218 —
405–440 fancy 431 4 600.00–610.00 $602.35 $2,596 +17.19
440 440 3 550.00 $550.00 $2,420 +34.55
454 fancy 454 5 545.00 $545.00 $2,474 +1.65
455–490 477 7 495.00–500.00 $498.62 $2,378 -10.52
506 506 3 497.50 $497.50 $2,517 +7.10
510–545 fancy 533 3 511.00–512.50 $511.48 $2,726 -15.26
555–577 fancy 562 9 455.00–477.50 $466.48 $2,622 +7.92
605 fancy 605 1 455.00 $455.00 $2,753 —
750–755 753 2 347.50–357.50 $352.52 $2,654 +7.52
890 890 1 300.00 $300.00 $2,670 —
1075 1075 1 235.00 $235.00 $2,526 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
481 481 3 390.00 $390.00 $1,876 —
525 525 1 395.00 $395.00 $2,074 +10.00
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
532 532 2 400.00 $400.00 $2,128 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405 405 1 480.00 $480.00 $1,944 +30.00
540 540 1 452.50 $452.50 $2,444 +13.25

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1440–1660 1533 75-80% 8 182.00–195.00 $185.09 $2,837 —
1410–1670 1589 75-80% 7 160.00–176.00 $170.44 $2,708 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
730–1035 883 85-90% 2 80.00–100.00 $91.73 $810 -34.05
940 940 85-90% 1 111.00 $111.00 $1,043 —
875–1370 1138 85-90% 5 157.00–170.00 $162.28 $1,847 —
1095–1230 1165 85-90% 4 143.00–150.00 $146.36 $1,705 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1110–1410 1260 80-85% 2 187.00–201.00 $194.83 $2,455 +21.42
1155–1400 1280 80-85% 3 176.00–184.00 $179.58 $2,299 +6.17

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1340–1855 1630 3 192.00–204.00 $200.33 $3,265 —
1680–1855 1768 2 210.00–226.00 $218.40 $3,861 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1015–1080 1048 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 2 183.00–192.00 $187.64 $1,966
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
820–890 855 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 200.00–201.00 $200.52 $1,714

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1595 1595 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,850.00 $2,850.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Small 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
720 720 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 1,550.00 $1,550.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
445 445 1 362.50 $362.50 $1,613 —
565 565 3 392.50 $392.50 $2,218 —
728 728 3 301.00 $301.00 $2,191 —

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Reading this report

What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?

USDA feeder grades describe frame size and muscle thickness, not quality of the individual animal. "Medium and Large" is the frame score; the number is muscle (1 = heaviest muscled). "Medium and Large 1–2" pens mix both muscle scores — common across the Southeast.

What is $/cwt?

Dollars per hundredweight — per 100 lb of animal. A 500-lb calf at $450/cwt brings 5 × $450 = $2,250. Lighter cattle usually bring more per cwt but less per head.

Why are some prices per head?

Bred cows, cow-calf pairs, and some replacement classes sell by the head, not by weight. We show those exactly as USDA reports them — a $/head figure is never converted into $/cwt on this site.

Where do these numbers come from?

From the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's Livestock Market News — federal reporters at the sale. We publish each report in full and link the official USDA document at the top of the page.